"It's a concern," Bobby Valentine conceded yesterday, "but again, I don't know what else there is right now. We'll have to see what the other members of this 2012 version can do, and when we see what they can do, and how they fit into place, we'll know if we're adding or subtracting from last year or if we're building something totally different and new."

For now, then, Aceves (Herald photo by Matt Stone) will continue to train his arm to be a starter, his preferred role, according to agent Tom O'Connell. And in today's Herald, we took a closer look at the 29-year-old right-hander, who marches to his own unique beat. To wit: In a Triple A start last season, Aceves called all of his own pitches. As David Ortiz said, Aceves "is on his own program," while setup man Mark Melancon, who roomed with Aceves in the minors in 2008, added, "He has his own theories, but normally they play out for the better. What I like about Ace is he's not scared to step out and do something a little different."

Also in today's paper, Bobby Jenks chronicles his nightmarish offseason, which included emergency back surgery Dec. 30 to correct mistakes that he alleges were made during an initial procedure two weeks earlier; Jacoby Ellsbury shot a commercial for Dunkin Donuts yesterday, and Steve Buckley writes that the center fielder can repeat his MVP-caliber 2011 season; within the notebook, Roy Oswalt says he won't sign a contract until midseason; Scott Atchison played a big role for the Red Sox in 2010, but now he finds himself off the 40-man roster; with team officials not expecting to see Jason Varitek in camp, Tomase, Buckley, Michael Silverman and I weigh in on which player should assume the biggest leadership role.